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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Cherry Mobile has announced the pricing for its Cherry Mobile Razor, and it is a killer. At Php6,499, Cherry Mobile will wipe the floor with its Razor.

With a sleek 7.7 mm profile, a 4.5-inch qHD (540 x 960) display and packing a quad core processor and fast graphics chip, this phone is sure to be a winner.

Quick specs:

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

4.5-inch IPS qHD display (540 x 960) protected by Dragon Trail Glass

4 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor

PowerVR SGX544MP graphics

5MP primary camera, autofocus with flash

VGA front camera

HSPA+

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

1700 mAh battery

Personally, overall I think this is the nicest package Cherry Mobile ever released.

Now, I have seen a lot of comments about the 1700 mAh battery being inadequate. A smaller 4.5-inch display consumes less power, so a 1700 mAh unit on a 4.5-inch phones is about equivalent to a 2000-2100 mAh battery on a 5-inch model. The MediaTek MT6589 is built on more power efficient 28 nanometer technology. This is more power efficient than older MediaTek chipsets and thelow Qualcomm S4 chipset which were based on 45 nanometer technology. So, let's keep an open mind on its battery life, and wait for the reviews.

I am not sure what Smart Communications will eventually do about its LTE policy for its Unli Data Plans, For now, it is extending the free LTE promo till August 31, 2013. Given that Globe Telecom has integrated LTE with its data plans at no additional cost, I think Smart will eventually decide to make all its Unli Data Plans into LTE plans.

There is more good news for Unli Data Plan holders. Smart is expanding its Flexibundles to its other plans, as add-ons. This means even if you are not on an All-In Plan, you can still avail of the Flexibundles.

A nice use of this for example is to add on a All Net Text Upgrade over say Data Plan 1500.

Phablets are estimated to be a US$46 billion market this year, and every Android manufacturer is getting into the game. Lenovo has two new phablet offerings, the K900 and S920. The K900 should be out in a few days, while the S920 is already available on retail shelves.

The Lenovo S920 has a 5.3-inch HD (720 x 1280) display and is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MTK 6589 processor. This is the same processor you have already seen on the MyPhone A919i Duo, Cherry Mobile Omega HD 2.0 and Blaze 2.0 all priced less than Php10,000. So the price of the Lenovo S920 might surprise you a bit. It is priced at Php16,999. The Lenovo S920 is impressively thin, at 7.9 mm, but that is not enough to overlook the fact that the other specifications do not justify the price.

Quick specs:

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

5.3-inch IPS HD display (720 x 1280)

Dual SIM

4 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.2 GHz quad core processor

PowerVR SGX544MP graphics

8 MP primary camera, autofocus with flash

2 MP front camera

HSPA+

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

2250 mAh battery

Ironically, the Lenovo S920 even cost more than Lenovo's own K860 which is powered by a more powerful Samsung Exynos Quad chipset.

The Lenovo S920 is nice piece of hardware and feels well built. I just think it is priced several thousand pesos higher than it should be.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Cherry Mobile released a teaser promising that the Razor will be the "most affordable Dragon Trail Glass Smartphone". While Dragon Trail durability is very enticing, it is the "most affordable" part that really gets my attention. With the Cherry Mobile Omega HD being priced at Php7,999, this means that the Razor will come in for less than that.

I was expecting the Cherry Mobile Razor to cost more frankly. Humming away inside the Cherry Mobile Razor is a 1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor with PowerVR DGX544 graphics. That is one powerful combo. That is the same chipset you see on all the new 4.7+ inch HD phones from Cherry Mobile, MyPhone, O+ and Starmobile.

In the Razor, it is mated to a smaller lower resolution 4.5-inch qHD display. Personally, I think this is a good thing. I am not all too fond of the larger and larger handsets we have these days. I consider 4.5-inches as the perfect size for me. With this sized display, the Cherry Mobile Razor is still a fairly wide 68 mm wide, which is about as wide as a HTC One. The Razor though is a thin 7.7 mm. This is thinner than the Apple iPhone 5, HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S 4 and Sony Xperia Z.

A 4.5-inch HD (720p/720 x 1280) display would have been more impressive, but lower resolutions do have their benefits. A 4.5-inch qHD (540 x 960) display is still a reasonably sharp 245 pixels per inch. At the same time, it means that the PowerVR SGX544 graphics has 70% pixels less to push than if it was powering a 720p display. Prepare for some really amazing 3D benchmarks on the Razor.

Cherry Mobile will announce the price on June 29, 2013, and we will find out how affordable it really is. But even at Php7,998, it would still be a great deal.

Lenovo just released its Thinkpad Helix in the country, or, well, it is available on a retailer's shelves. It is a very interesting device. It is a nice portable 11.6-inch ultrabook, with a display which is actually a detachable tablet. I know this is nothing new, but it is very nicely done. It has a Full HD (1920 x 1080) display, an Intel Core i5 processor and a 180 GB solid state drive. Nothing which I can complain about. So I asked about the price. Php92,100, and my first reaction was, is Lenovo crazy?

Okay, I love Thinkpads and their keyboards, so let's give this one a good look. I did get a MacBook Air three years ago, which cost almost this much.

So, re-opening my mind, I took a better look at the new Lenovo offering. I picked up the tablet portion of the Helix, and man, it was heavy. Later looking up the specifications, it is apparently 1.8 pounds. Then I came to the dock, which felt was a little heavier than the tablet. Later, I would find out it was 2 pounds. Slotting the tablet into the dock, and closing the lid, I said to myself that is no Ultrabook.

Okay, lets go back to the price. A 13-inch MacBook Air with a 128 GB SSD cost just a little over 50K these days. Getting one with a 256 GB SSD will cost you just over 60K. That is 20K less than the first release of the current generation MacBook Air less than three years ago. The 11.6-inch models are even cheaper. Basically, prices have gone down, and the Lenovo, in pricing ThinkPad Helix, seems oblivious of that fact.

Basically, if I wanted an 11.6-inch laptop, I could get a 11-inch MacBook Air and an iPad or iPad mini (with LTE) for less than the cost of the Lenovo Thinkpad Helix. These two separate devices would weigh just about as much as the Helix. In a bad, they would occupy just about as much space.

The Lenovo Thinkpad Helix is a nice concept. I really like it, but I am waiting for Version 2, or the price of Version 1 to go down.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

When Alcatel was releasing their new products last April, there was one I forgot to write about, Alcatel One Touch Tab 7 HD. I saw one yesterday and it is a nicely built tablet. The price, Php7,490 is about what you expect to pay these days for a 7-inch tablet with a 720p HD display.

Quick specifications:

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

7-inch IPS HD display (800 x 1280)

4 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.6 GHz dual core RockChip 3066 processor

Mali-400MP graphics chip

2 MP primary camera

VGA front camera

WiFi

Bluetooth

3300 mAh battery

I noticed it did lack a few things. It has no ambient light sensor to adjust screen brightness and no GPS. The 3300 mAh battery is smaller than the 4000 mAh batteries you find on may 7-inch tablets. Build quality is good and the tablet is a nice slim 9 mm thick.

The RockChip 3066 chipset which uses a dual Core ARM Cortex-A9 processor which you find in many low cost tablets which performs well enough. It scores about 10000 points on Antutu benchmarks.

While it is not the bang for the buck 7-inch tablet in the market, it is a reasonable enough proposition.

If you watch carriers, every now and that they release really good deals on particular handsets. Smart Communications offer on the the Nokia Lumia 920.

The Nokia Lumia 920 has a 4.5-inch 720 display, a dual core processor, LTE connectivity and a 8 MP with optical image stabilization. It is actually, the first smartphone to incorporate OIS tech.

Smart Communications is offering the Nokia Lumia 920 free on at Smart Unli Data Plan 1500, with a 30 month contract. You can also get it at the same plan, on a 24 month contract, if you pay Php6,000 cash up front. You can also get the Nokia Lumia 920 free on at Smart All-in Data Plan 1800, with a 30 month contract. You can also get it at the same plan, on a 24 month contract, if you pay Php5,500 cash up front.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

The number of local players, bringing in off-the-shelf smartphones, to the Philippine is growing. One of the newest players is Arc Mobile. Arc Mobile is offering smartphones under the label Nitro and Prime. The Prime offering consists of obsolescent Android Gingerbread phones which really is of no interest to me. They also have a tablet, which runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich, but as site policy, I really do not recommend buying devices that do not run Jelly Bean. There really is no reason why new devices should be released with two and three year old operating systems.

More interesting are the three Nitro labeled phones offered by Arc Mobile:

Nitro 400D quick specs:

Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean

4-inch WVGA display (480 x 800)

Dual SIM

4 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot

512 MB RAM

1 GHz dual core MediaTek 6577 processor

PowerVR SGX531 graphics

5 MP primary camera, autofocus with flash

VGA front camera

HSPA

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

1450 mAh battery

Suggested retail price of Php3,999

Nitro 450QD quick specs:

Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean

Dual SIM

4.5-inch qHD display (540 x 960)

4 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot

512 MB RAM

1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek 6598 processor

PowerVR SGX544 graphics

5 MP primary camera, autofocus with flash

VGA front camera

HSPA+

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

1800 mAh battery

Suggested retail price of Php5,499

Nitro 500D quick specs:

Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean

5-inch WVGA display (480 x 800)

Dual SIM

4 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot

512 MB RAM

1 GHz dual core MediaTek 6577 processor

PowerVR SGX531 graphics

5 MP primary camera, autofocus with flash

1.3 MP front camera

HSPA

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

2000 mAh battery

Suggested retail price of Php4,199

I have not had any face time with any of these phones. But their pricing is very competitive, and the specifications are good for the asking price. In terms of value for money, Arc Mobile looks like it wants to go head to head with Cherry Mobile on pricing. For the past few months, Cherry Mobile has very effectively undercut its competitors on pricing.

Samsung has a pair of new dual SIM "micro" sized phones. Well, they are micro sized in a world where 4.3-inch phones are being given the moniker "mini". The offerings are the Samsung Galaxy Young S6310 and Fame S6810. Both phones run on Android 4.1.2, Jelly Bean.

I wont beat around the bush. Priced at Php5,490 for the 3.27-inch Galaxy Young, and the Php7,500 for the 3.5-inch Galaxy Fame, it is really hard to recommend these phones. It is not just the size of the displays, but their resolution. Both phones come with low resolution 320 x 480 displays. Behind the displays, the situation is not any better with single core processors.

Unless you want a really small device there are better phones for the same or less money. If you want a smaller device from a major manufacturer, I would recommend the Huawei Ascend Y300 instead. For Php5,490 you get a 4-inch, 480 x 800 pixel resolution, display and dual core processor. If the dual SIM function is important, the Php3,990 Cherry Mobile Flare (now updated to Jelly Bean) would be a another more interesting alternative.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Huawei's, entry into the phablets wars, the Ascend Mate is now available for pre-order in the Philippines. The price is a surprisingly low Php16,990.

Quick specs:

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

6.1-inch PIS+ HD display (720 x 1280)

8 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot

2 GB RAM

1.5 GHz quad core Huawei K3V2 processor

8 MP primary camera, autofocus with flash

2 MP front camera

HSPA+

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

4050 mAh battery

The in-house designed Huawei K3V2 processor is as fast as the Exynos quad on the Samsung Galaxy S III. The 4050 mAh battery also promises amazing battery life.

Priced lower than the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8, which is priced at Php18,900, the Huawei Ascend Mate looks like it will take the phablet crown in the Philippines. In terms of specifications, the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 cannot hold a candle to the Huawei Ascend Mate. The Huawei Ascend Mate can actually slug it our with the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 and Note II. While the Ascend Mate does not outshine either the Mega 6.3 or the Note II, it comes close.

Starmobile Diamond V3 will be available on retail shelves starting tomorrow. This 5.3-inch phablet has quad core Qualcomm processor and 1 GB of RAM. It is price reasonably enough at Php8,995.

Quick specs:

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

5.3-inch FWVGA display (480 x 854)

Dual SIM

8 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot

1 GB RAM

Quad core Qualcomm processor

Adreno 203 graphics

8 MP primary camera, autofocus with flash

2 MP front camera

HSPA

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

2100 mAh battery

The FWVGA (480 x 854) display is the main issue with this offering. At this price range, you do have the 5-inch Cherry Mobile HD 2.0 and MyPhone A919i Duo with HD (720 x 1280) displays and with more powerful quad core processors. You also have the larger and more powerful 5.7-inch Cherry Mobile Blaze 2.0 which also rocks a HD display, to contend with.

Smart Communications has changed it rates for time billed mobile internet. Instead of the previous rate of Php10 for 30 minutes, it is now charging Php5 for fifteen minutes. While the rate per minute is still the same, it does benefit users a lot. If you go online for five minutes to check out a website or your email, it will not cost you Php5 instead of Php10. If you go online for 40 minutes, it will not cost you Php15, instead of Php20.

Globe Telecom has been using the same Php5 per 15 minutes for several years now.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Smart Communications has announced that it has completed the roll-out of its in Luzon, with 250 LTE sites in 46 cities and 69 municipalities. This means 250 LTE towers in 115 different cities and municipalities. This phase of Smart LTE rollout does not result in blanket coverage of areas with LTE coverage. LTE coverage is centered on heavy traffic commercial areas like malls and business centers.

This means as you move around, your smartphone will switch between LTE, HSPA and 3G connections. Depending on where you go, your phone will probably spend most of its time on HSPA.

LTE and 3G/HSPA connectivity is done using two separate radios on your phone. LTE chips on phones with Qualcomm chipsets is very power efficient, since it uses a System-on-Chip LTE solution. Still, if you are frequently in areas without LTE coverage, you may want to turn off the LTE radio from time to time.

When you have a 3G or HSPA connection, and LTE is enabled, the phone will check for an LTE signal from time to time. This task consumes battery life. You could save some battery life when disabling LTE in a non-LTE area. Given that the new Qualcomm LTE radios are power efficient, the savings might not be all that much.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Samsung has launching two new dual SIM mid-range handsets in the Philippines, the Samsung Galaxy Core and the Galaxy Win. The Galaxy Core is a 4.3-inch handset while the Galaxy Win sports a 4.7-inch display. The Galaxy Core is the cheaper of the two handsets with a suggested retail price at Php11,990.

Galaxy Core quick specs:

Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean

4.3-inch WVGA display (480 x 800)

Dual SIM

8 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.2 GHz dual core processor

5MP primary camera, autofocus with flash

VGA front camera

HSPA+

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

1800 mAh battery

I am not sure what chipset and graphics processor the Galaxy Core comes with, but it is limited to 480p video capture.

The Galaxy Win is priced at Php14,990.

Galaxy Core quick specs:

Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean

4.7-inch WVGA display (480 x 800)

Dual SIM

8 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.2 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor

Adreno 203 graphics

5MP primary camera, autofocus with flash

VGA front camera

HSPA+

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

2000 mAh battery

The Galaxy Win comes with a more power quad core processor and is able to capture 720p video.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is the third generation of Samsung original tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000. But Samsung Galaxy Tab has gone from being a top of the line product in 2010, to a budget priced device in 2013.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is priced nicely enough at Php9,200. But even at that price, a bit expensive compared to the Asus Memo Pad and Acer Iconia B1. Its specifications are modest by today standards.

Quick specifications:

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

7-inch 1024 x 600 display

8 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.2 GHz dual core processor

3.15 MP primary camera

1.3 front camera

WiFi

Bluetooth

GPS

4000 mAh battery

But this tablet has a really nice size. Samsung did a great job of reducing the size of the bezel making the new Tab 3 a whole 10 mm narrower than previous models and also making it a lot lighter at just 302 grams.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Smart Communications tweeted this afternoon that "Something #BIGisComing!" I do not know exactly what the tease is referring too, but if I had to guess, I would say Smart will be adding one or both the Samsung Galaxy Mega phablets to its smartphone lineup.

If we are really lucky, the something big is referring to the best phablet in the world right now, the LG Optimus G Pro.

Acer Iconia A1 has been launched in the Philippines. The 7.9-inch XGA display really takes of cues from the Apple iPad mini, and it really cannot avoid comparison to Apple's newest tablet. More on that later.

The Acer Iconia A1 is priced at Php9,990, and is available for that price at 12-months deferred payment. For cash, you can probably expect to get it for 9K flat. This makes it 60% cheaper than an Apple iPad mini. At first glance Acer actually has the advantage in terms of specifications.

Quick specifications:

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

7.9-inch XGA (1024 x 786) IPS display

16 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MTK8125 processor

PowerVR SGX544 graphics

5 MP primary camera

VGA front camera

WiFi

Bluetooth

GPS

4960 mAh battery

Notably, the Acer Iconia A-1 has expandable storage and does come with GPS.

Where is looses out to the Apple iPad mini is in handiness.

Acer Iconia A1: 208.7 x 145.7 x 11.1 mm

Apple iPad mini: 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm

The Apple iPad mini is 9 mm shorter, 11 mm narrower and 4 mm thinner. In terms of weight, the Apple iPad mini is also just three-forths of the weight of the Acer Iconia A1.

Basically, the Acer Iconia A1 is a nice offering for the price. The Apple iPad mini gives you a few good reasons to fork out more cash.

The Acer Aspire P3 is a hybrid device. It basically is a 11.6-inch Windows 8 tablet with a detacheable kryoard which also serves as a protective case. Priced at Php38,900 you get a a HD display, Core i5-3339Y processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 120 GB SSD,

What makes this package interesting is its portability. The entire package weighs in at a light 1.74 pounds. That is three-fourth of a pound less than a 11-inch MacBook Air. It is also incredibly thin at 0.4-inchers. Battery life is also rated up to 6-hours, which does fall behind the latest 11-inch MacBook Air.

The Acer Aspire P3 has no touchpad, so you are really left with just the touchscreen. This type of design which really showcase what Windows 8 is all about. But this is also a bit worrisome. Without the touchpad, it won't be the best option for using it with traditional Windows apps. Software designed for mice and touch pads are not necessarily finger friendly. Things like the Microsoft Surface Pro seem like a better transitional device, with touch for "Metro" and a touchpad for your good old Windows desktop apps.

The other area you should look at is timing. Intel Haswell is out. A Haswell powered P3 should give this device a 10 hour battery life. So as nice as the Acer Aspire P3 is, it is tempting to wait, or at least wait for some steep discounts.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

I like 9:16 aspect ratio displays on smartphones which is the aspect ratio of FWVGA, qHD, HD and Full HD displays. Apple adopted the a 9:16 for the Apple iPhone 5. This aspect ratio is ideal for watching HD and Full HD video, and makes for narrower and handier large screen phones. It is fine for use browsing mobile sites. I think it is a great aspect ratio for a device used mainly on portrait mode, and less frequently on landscape mode.

With tablets, it is a different story. I prefer devices with a 3:4 aspect ratio like Apple iPad's. While most Android tablets use the 9:16 aspect ratio, there are a growing number of Android tablet using 3:4 aspect ratio displays like the 8-inch Cherry Mobile Fusion Wind and the soon to be released Acer Iconia A1.

Another contender in this Arena is the KATA T2.

Quick specifications:

Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean

8-inch XGA (1024 x 786) IPS display

8 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.6 GHz dual core processor

Mali-400MP graphics

5 MP primary camera

2 MP front camera

WiFi

Bluetooth

4100 mAh battery

Compared to the Cherry Mobile Fusion Wind, the KATA T2 is priced 1K higher. For this you do get more internal storage (8 GB versus 4 GB) and better camera (5 MP primary and 2 MP front versus 2 MP primary and VGA front). You also get bluetooth 2.1, which alone, in my opinion, is worth the 1K price difference.

Cherry Mobile latest tablet is the Fusion Wave. The Fusion Wave is an 8-inch Android Tablet with a XGA (1024 x 768) display. The highlight of this tablet is the quad core 1.4GHz Samsung Exynos processor, which comes with Mali-400 graphics on board. Keeping all this running is a sufficiently large 5100 mAh battery. Priced at Php7,499, it is less than half the price of a Apple iPad mini, which in terms of screen size and aspect ratio. It is more expensive than a lot of its locally branded competitors, but it does justify the price with its Samsung Exynos credentials.

Quick specifications:

Android 4.0.4 Ice Crean Sandwich

8-inch XGA (1024 x 786) IPS display

8 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.6 GHz dual core processor

Mali-400MP graphics

2 MP primary camera

2 MP front camera

WiFi

Bluetooth

Compatible with USB 3G Dongle

5100 mAh battery

Disappointingly, the new tablet runs on older version of Android, and not the current Jelly Bean release. Cherry Mobile has issued Jelly Bean updates for several of its Ice Cream Sandwich devices, so hopefully it will update the Fusion Wave too.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Cherry Mobile quietly launched a new 5-inch quad core phone, the Thunder 2.0. All I know so far about this phone are the partial specifications in Cherry Mobile Facebook post.

Introducing THUNDER 2.0, our most affordable QUAD-CORE smartphone to date!Cherry Mobile Thunder 2.0 Key Specs:SRP: P6,299Android Jelly Bean 4.21.2 GHz Quad-Core Processor5-Inch Capacitive Touchscreen8MP Rear Camera, 2MP Front Camera4GB Internal Storage, microSD expandable up to 32GBWi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth, A-GPS, HSPA+Dual SIM2100 mAh BatteryThe key specification missing is the screen resolution and amount of RAM. Given the price, I would expect it to be of the WVGA/FWVGA or qHD variety.Update: The display is a FWVGA display (480 x 854) and RAM is only 512 MB, both of which are a bit disappointing. But given the asking price, you really cannot expect more. The good news is that the phone is on a MediaTek MT6589 chipset which comes with fast PowerVR SGX544 graphics.

Huawei has launched the worlds slimmest smartphone, the Ascend P6, which is just 6.18 mm thick. This makes it thinner than the 6.5 mm thick Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra.

The Huawei Ascend P6 has a 4.7-inch HD (720 x 1280) display and is powered by Huawei own K3V2 chipset. This means that is has no LTE and is powered by an older generation quad core ARM Cortex-A9 processor. The Huawei Ascend P6 has a good amount of RAM at 2 GB and a 2000 mAh battery. It has a 8MP primary camera and a 5MP front camera. All this is encased in a beautiful metal and glass case.

This phone is being released in Western Europe first. No word if it will be coming to the Philippines, but with Huawei models on Globe Telecom, Smart Communications and Sun Cellulars line-up, I expect it will find its way to at least one carrier here. If this phone does make it to the Philippine I expect it to be priced at the Php18,000 to Php20,000 range.

TCL (Alcatel) launch it own new super slim phone, the One Touch Idol X. This phone is basically a 5-inch 1080p (1080 x 1920) version of the Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra. The Idol X moves up to a quad core MediaTek MT6589T processor, 2 GB of RAM and packs a 13 MP shooter. This phone is just 6.99 mm thick. I think this makes it the thinnest 1080p smartphone in the world. While the TCL Idol X is slated for China, I suspect we will see a Alcatel One Touch Idol X soon. Expect it to hit retail shelves at about Php15,000.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Intel's new Haswell processor is worth waiting for. It is only a bit faster, and on laptops the improvements are likely to be only in graphics performance. But it is really not about the speed. The new models with a 15W thermal design point will result in being to double or almost double battery life on a laptop. Basically, you can expect smaller 11.6-inch models having battery life between 6 to 10 hours, and larger 13.3-inch units going up to 15 hours.

... and sliver thin.

Sony has used the new technology bring its 11-inch Sony Vaio Pro to a unprecedented 1.92 pounds in weight and that is packing a Full HD display and all. That is about the weight of a Apple iPad with a carry case. The 13-inch Sony Vaio Pro is down to 2.3 pounds in weight, which is lighter than Apple 11-inch MacBook Air.

Apple felt is MacBook Air's were light enough, and used the new technology to maximize battery life. The 11-inch MacBook Air is not rated at 9 hours endurance, and the 13-inch model has a 12 hour endurance rating. At the same time, the new MacBook Air models are cheaper.

Basically, Haswell allows manufacturers to come up with impressive new devices.

If you are buying a low cost laptop, price at Php25K or below, or want to get a MacBook Air, go ahead and buy one. But if you are looking at higher end Windows laptops, or a MacBook Pro or retina version, it is probably best to sit tight for a bit and wait for the new generation of Haswell powered units.

I have been looking at Sun Cellulars offerings which are pretty interesting these days. The most interesting handset from a value for money standpoint appears to be the Alcatel One Touch Idol. The One Touch Idol is a 4.7-inch Android phone with a HD display and a dual core processor. Checking one of my favorite online retailers, this phone is currently priced at Php11,200. This price is a bit high for what the phone offers. But on Plan 600, basically a Php18,000 commitment over 30 months, the One Touch Idol is not a bad deal.

If you compare it with other similar phones offered, this one seems to subsidized more by Sun Cellular.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Starmobile's latest offering, the Starmobile Knight will be priced at Php11,290 when it hits retail shelves this month, or early next month.

Quick specs:

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

4.7-inch IPS HD display (720 x 1280) protected by Gorilla Glass

Dual SIM

4 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot

1 GB RAM

1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor

PowerVR SGX544MP graphics

18 MP BSI primary camera, autofocus with flash

8 MP BSI front camera

HSPA+

WiFi

Bluetooth

A-GPS

2000 mAh battery (not user replaceable)

Overall the specifications are similar to Cherry Mobile's Omega HD 2.0 and MyPhone A919i Duo. The main differences are the high megapixel front and back cameras, which probably wont do much to improve image quality. The main reason for selecting this device over the Omega HD 2.0 or A919i Duo is the size. The Knight a smaller 4.7-inch screen, as compared to the larger 5-inch displays of its competitors, should make for a handier phone. Personally, I would prefer the smaller 4.7-inch size myself.

The main question is whether buyers will be okay with the higher price tag. The Omega HD 2.0 retails for Php8,990 while the A919i Duo sells for Php9,590. The other issue might be the non-user replaceable battery.

So what do you think. Will the night carve out its own niche? Or will it swallowed up by all the lower cost 5 to 5.7-inch quad core competition?

Sun Cellular is offering the 5-inch HD MyPhone A919 Duo phone at just Plan 450. Sun Plan 450 is a pretty nice plan which can be selected to included:

Unlimited calls and SMS within the Sun network

250 SMS to other networks

20 hours of mobile internet

Over a period of 30 months, that is just a Php13,500 commitment. It is a really great deal when you consider it comes with a phone which retails for about Php7,000 these days. Effectively, its like buying a MyPhone A919 at 30 months zero interest and getting the calls, SMS and data for just Php217 a month.

Errata: Apparently the model offered by Sun Cellular free at Plan 450 is the lower cost A919 and not the A919i so I have corrected the article.

One thing I was wondering if would be built into iOS7 was the ability to scale to different resolutions. The absence of this feature means that Apple has limited options in selecting screen resolutions for it iDevices. Basically, when bumping up resolution Apple has two choices. On is to "double" resolution (actually, quadruple the number of pixels) like it did when it moved from the iPhone 3GS to the iPhone 4, which when from 320 x 480 to 640 x 960, or the iPad which moved from 1024 x 768 to 1536 x 2048. The second option is to add a row, like it did when it went with a longer display, basically adding a 640 x 176 row over the current 640 x 960 display of the iPhone 4 and 4S.

No mention of the ability to scale to different resolutions was made when Apple unveiled iOS7. If iOS was able to scale to different resolutions, the 640 x 1136 display could migrate to a rather impressive 4-inch HD 720 x 1280 display. But this is not in iOS' bag of tricks.

This means that the next logical step up for the iPhone resolution would be to move up to 1280 x 2272. Now that is an impressive feature and would be Apple's first HD and Full HD display for a smartphone. But it really makes little sense to put a 1280 x 2272 display on a 4-inch screen.

In all likelihood, when Apple launches its iPhone 5S later this year it would still retain the same 640 x 1136 display, which really is sharp enough for a 4-inch display. Still, this means it looses it retina marketing tool. It is a bit hard to talk up a sharp display, when you have a 326 pixel per inch (ppi) display, while Windows Phone have 342 ppi displays, BlackBerry phones hit 355 ppi and Android phones offer staggering 469 ppi.

Basically, as new Windows, BlackBerry and Android models comes out, whatever Apple does with does with its iPhone 5, it will start to look more and more like mid-level offerings from its competitors.

Now Apple has been reportedly looking at manufacturing larger 4.7 and 5.7-inch iPhones. This is really inevitable. I have no doubt Apple can source a 1280 x 2272 display from one of its suppliers. But without a bigger phone, it really won't have a platform to show off this new technology.

Société Générale has forecasted that the BlackBerry Z10 has sold more than 5 million units since its released in February 2013, and Q10 devices could reach almost 1
million since its release in April 2013 (Source: Montreal Gazette). These are decent sales figures considering the both devices are priced on the higher end of the spectrum.

The BlackBerry Z10 ia a touchscreen device while the Q10 has a touchscreen and physical QWERTY keyboard.

BlackBerrry's fortunes should improve with the release of a lower cost model, the Q5 in July 2013 as th is lower price model will allow it to hit a broader market. BlackBerrry has also announced that it will be launching a higher end touchscreen phone, the A10, by November this year.

Sony new mid-sized water and dust proof smartphone will be launching in India this June. This phone has a 4.55-inch 720p HD (720 x 1280) display, a 1.5 quad core GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro processor, 2 GB of RAM and a 13.1 MP camera. Essentially, it is a scaled down Sony Xperia Z, with a plastic case back.

Battery life and performance should be good since it uses the same graphics processing unit as the Xperia Z with a less demanding 720p display, Battery life should also be good, as it also comes with a 2300 mAh battery battery, like the Xperia Z, but with a smaller 4.55 inch display.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

The Droid Guy reports that a new Asus tablet, codenamed K009 has just passed through the US FCC. Notably, it was reported under two brand names, ASUS and "nexus", with the explanation that the second name is used "For marketing purpose."

The processor used is a Qualcomm S4 Pro, the same processor used in the Google Nexus 4 and most notably in the Sony Xperia Z and ZL. This chipset supports 1080p displays and the next Nexus 7 is widely believed to be coming with Full HD display. It also appears that the next Nexus 7 will sport front and rear cameras as well as come with LTE onboard.

Cherry Mobile has released another teaser for its new Wave tablet, confirming what we already knew, that it runs on a Samsung Exynos processor. The new teaser does tell us how many cores it has, and it is a quad core processor clocked at 1.4 GHz. That is the same processor used on the Samsung Galaxy S III.